Large Telescopes And Why We Need Them – Professor Carolin Crawford

Beyond the Solar System, all astronomers have to work with is the light that falls to the Earth from distant cosmic objects. Newer, larger telescopes are always needed to boost scientific progress, and the next generation of facilities – whether the 42m diameter optical-infrared Extremely Large Telescope, or the Square Kilometre Array of radio dishes – will represent a huge advance. We shall look at the science driving the need for such large telescopes, through history and to the present-day and beyond. Many scientific and engineering challenges are involved in the design and construction of the largest telescopes and their mirrors, and technological developments will be essential to their success.